And daniel g



(No Model.)

J. H. ALLISON.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JoIIN I-I. ALLIsoN, or ELKIIAET, INDIANA, AssIeNon or oNE-IIALE To .IoHN e. EIcI-I, or AUBURN, NEw YORK, AND DANIEL e. REED, oE nIcI-IMoND,

INDIANA. I i

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY TROLLEY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,570, dated August 22, 1893.

Application filed March 3, 1893. Serial No. 464,536. (No model.)

.T all whom t may concern: with a pair of switch-levers, 5 and G, one on Be it known that I, JOHN H. ALLISON, a citieither side thereof, and each, in practice, furaen of the United States, residing at Elkhart, nished with a roller, as 7 and S, respectively, 111 the county of Elkhart and State of Indifor engaging under the switch-guides 9 and ana, have invented certainnew and useful 11, respectively, of the trolley-line switch. 55 Improvements in Trolley-Switches, of which At the junction of the main line 10 with the the following is a specification. two branches 12 and 14, respectively, I place This Invention relates to trolley switches for a switch connecting said lines, which switch electric railways, the object being to provide consists of some suitable central part, as, for Io a switch mechanism whereby the trolley may instance, the switch-plate 13,andof the switch- 6o be switched from the main line to either one guides 9 and 11,0ne on either side of the switch, of two branch lines, or vice versa, as may be as will be understood by comparison of Figs. 1, Teflulled- 3 and G. The line-wires 10, 12 and 14 maybe In the drawings accompanying and formattached to, or fixed in, a switch-plate, 18, in 15 lng a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a any well-known or convenient manner. The 65 side elevation of a car furnished with my switch-guides, 9 and 11, are shown provided Improved trolley mechanism. Fig.2 is a plan with suitable lugs, or ears, as 17 and 1S, review of the trolley apparatus shown on the spectively, whereby these guides may be supcar in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan View ported on the central plate 13 of the switch. zo of the switch, and showing the head of the In practice, said parts may be connected to- 7o trolleyin position thereunder, forillustrating gether by means of suitable bolts, as 19, Fig. the preferred construction and Inode of oper- 3, and the ears 18 may be slotted in the direcation of the switch mechanism. Fig. 4 is an tion crosswise of the switch-guides, as indienlarged side view of the head of the trolley, cated, for instance, by dotted lines at 21,Fig. correspondingr to the position thereof at the 3, for permitting of the adjustment of said 75 left hand in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar switch-guides to correspond with the required to Fig. 4,but showing one of the switch-levers angle of the trolley-lines 12 and 14. setin position foraction. Fig. Gisaview simi- For actuating the switch-levers 5 1and 6, lar to Figs. 4 and 5, but showing the other each of these has connected to its lower end, 3o switch-lever in action. Fig? isaview of the at the points 22 and 23, respectively, two 8o trolley-headV as seen from the right hand in leading or operating lines or cords, 23 and 24,

Figwhich, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, are car- Similar characters designate like parts in ried alongside of the trolley-arm 4 by suitall the views. able supports (as, for instance, the cord guides 3 5 My improved trolley-mechanism is designed 25 and 26 on the trolley-arm) and extend from 8 5 to be carried o n the top of any suitable car, the trolley-arm along the guide-arm 20, (beas C, Fig. 1, being reversible in the ordinary ing here supported by other cord guides, as manner, and carrying at its upper end the 27, 28 and 29,) respectively, terminating in usual roller, 2, for running against the under suitable handles, as 30 and 31, respectively.

4o side of the linewire 10. The trolley-arm 4 is In Fig. 1 the trolley is shown in working 9o pivotally supported at its lower end on the position by solid lines at the left hand, and stern 16 (Fig. 1) of the base 15, which is set its reversed position is shown by dotted lines upon and iixed to the top of the car in any at the right hand of its supporting stud 15. wellknown manner. Said stem carries a Similarly, when the trolley is at the left hand guide-arm, 20, whose purpose is to support as shown by the solid lines, the guide-arm is 95 the lines or cords by means of which the moat the right hand and supports the aforesaid tor-man may operate the switch-lever of the handles 30 and 31 in convenient position for trolley-head. This head is designated in a the motor-man to grasp them. `When the general way by I-I, and it is furnished on either trolley is thrown toward the right hand, as

5o side thereof, adjacent to the contact-wheel 2. shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the guideroc arm is shifted to the opposite end of the car as indicated by dotted lines at theleft hand 1n Fig. 1, said handles being in position for the motor-man when he is at the left end of the car.

When the car is running under the line lO toward the switch designated in a general way by S, Fig. 1, and it is required to switch the trolley from the line to theline 14, (see Fig. 3,) the motor-man, seizing the handle 30, draws on the cord 23 to throw the switch-lever 5 from its idle position shown in Fig. 4

to its working position shown by dotted lines.

at 32, Fig. 1, and in Fig. 5. When thus set, the roll 7 of the switch-lever runs against and under the curved end 33 of the switch-.guide Y 9, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 5,

thereby throwing down the trolley-head to carry the roll 2 below the line, as shown, for. instance, in Fig. 3, and as shown in the mid-l dle position D, Fig. 1. As the car advances (toward the right hand in Fig. 1), the switch` lever runs off from the switch-guide 9, and in doing so guides the roll 2 against the wire 14..

To switch the trolley from the wire l0 to, the branch-wire 12, the opposite switch-lever dof the trolley-head is shifted to the position shown by dotted lines at 32, Fig. 1, and showny When thus set, the roll 8 of said? switch-lever runs under the opposite switch-vr guide 11, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, thereby:

in Fig. (i.

lowering the trolley-roll 2 from the rline l0,

and afterward delivering it against the under side of the line 12 as the switch-roll runs fronr `under the right-hand end of said switch-guide In Fig. 3 the trolley-head is shown un` 1l. derneath the switch, in a position corresponding to that in Fig. 6 and during the transfer of the Ytrolley from the line l0 to the line 12.

For guarding the trolley-head against entanglement with cross wires and other obstructions, said head is shown provided on the upper side thereof with the guard-bar 34 standing between the switch-levers and eX- tending upwardly from the trolley-arm sui- 'ciently far to prevent any falling cross wires .from getting into locking engagement front of the switch-levers. On the under side of the trolley-arm, this is shown furnished with a lower guard, 35, for similarly protecting the lower ends of VYsaid switch-levers.' For protecting the switch-lever rolls from entanglement'with any wires as aforesaid, the switchlevel's are shown provided with guard-plates, 36 and 37, respectively, extending from the roll-bearings, or pivots, 38 and 39, outside of the trolley-arm,as will be understood by corn-v to the right or to the left, as may be required,

and holds on to lthe handle to maintain the switch-lever in the required position (as, for

instance, in Figs. 5, 6 and '7) until the trolley has passed the switch; when by releasing the handle, the switch-lever, by reason of the distribution of metal therein, resumes its normal idle position. Similarly,\vhen about to run from either one of the two branch wires onto the single line, the motor-man should,before reaching the switch, throw into action that one of the switch-levers which corresponds to the line the car is running under, so that on coming to the switch the switch-leverwill engage the proper switch-guide for guiding the trolley from the branch line to the single or main line. This mode of operation, however, is not essentially different from that described for running from the single line onto either one of the branch lines, and will, it is thought, Y

be fully understood without furtherdescription.

It for any reason it may be'preferred, a spring may be connected, in la Well-known manner, for norlnally holding the switch-levers in idle positiongwhich position is shown, for instance, in Fig. 4.

It will, of course, be understood that the two switch-rollers are'ernployed in theswitchlevers for the purpose of reducing friction,

and not because the same arenecessary to they operation of the switch-mechanism; plain levers suitable for engaging the switch-guides would, except for the undue friction, `answer every requirement of the operation. It will be observed that one of theadvantagesof my present invention is that it makes a continuous wire, since the entire switch is within the electric circuit, la connection .being made through the switch-guide and switchlever before the trolley-roller 2 is lowered KYfrom the line-wire. nFor elevating the trolleyarm to properly engage the under side of the line-wire, said arm `may be provided with a spring, as 40, Fig. 1, operating in the usual well-known manner.

The switch-levers 5 and 6 are shown pivotally supported .at the point 4l, the pivot -being shown by dotted lilies in Figs. 4, 5 and G, being covered by the guard-.plates 35and 37. The switch-levers may, however, bepivoted to the trolley-arm in any manner which on the shifting thereof will throw the working end of the lever 'into position forproperly engaging the switch-guide; and in some cases p the switching-rollers, or rollers 7 Vand 8, may

be shiftably supported bymeans ofany wellknown kind of roll-carrier adapted for shifting the roll to and from the two positions shown, respectively, in Figsf and 6, the particular construction and character of the shiftable switch-roll carrier not being lessential to the general features of my present invention. Having thus described my invention, I clairn- 1. In a trolley switch-mechanism, the combination with the single-line wire and the doubleline wires mak-ing a junction therewith, vand with a'switch-guide located-along side of said line wires at the junction thereof,

IOO

IIO

of the trolley-arm adapted to run on the line wires, and a switch-arm movably supported on the trolley-arm and shiftable from and into position for engaging the switch-guideto carry the trolley-arm from the single-line wire to one of the double-line wires, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley switch-mechanism, the coinbination with the single-line wire and the double-line wires making a junction therewith, and with a switch-guide located alongside of said line-wires at the junction thereof, of the trolley-arm adapted to run on the line-wires, one switch-arm movably supported on the trolley-arm and shiftable from and into position for engaging the switch-guide to carry the trolley-arm from the single-line wire to one of the double-line wires when the gle-linewire toward the double-line wire, and

. a second switch-arm movably supported on the trolley-arm opposite to said first switcharm and shiftable from and into position for engaging the switch-guide to carry the trolley-arm from the double-line wire to the singie-line wire when the trolley-arm is moving in that direction, substantially as described.

3. In a trolley switch-mechanism, the combination with the sin gie-line wire and the two double-line wires making a junction therewith, and with two switch-guides located one on either side of said line-wires at the j unction thereof, of the trolley-arm adapted to run on the line-wires, and two switch-arms supported one on either side ot the trolley-arm and shiftable from and into position for engaging switch-guides respectively when the trolley-arm is moving from the singleline wire toward the double-line wires, and means for shifting said switch-arms, independently of each other, from and into their working position, whereby the trolley-arm may be engaged with either one of the switch-guides for carrying said arm from the single-line wire to the corresponding double-line wire7 substantially as described.

4. The combination with the trolley-car and the single-line and double-line wires provided with a switch-guide substantially as described at the junction oi' the wires, of the trolley-arm carried on the car, a switch-arm mounted on the trolley-arm in position for engaging the switch-guide of the trolley-line, and a connecting cord or line running from the switcharin down the trolley-arm and into position for operation by the motor-man to throw the switch-arm into position for action, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a trolley-car, the trolley-lines having a switch-guide at the junction thereof7 and with the trolley-arm and its switch-arm mounted thereon and supported to swing on the car,of the switch-armactuating cord support connected with the trolley-arm support and extending toward the end of the car, for carrying the switch-arm actuating cord or cords, substantially as described.

6. In a trolley switch-mechanism, the combination with the trolley-arm, of a swinging switch-arm pivotally supported thereon near the line-engaging end thereof, and means for elevating and loweringthe switch-arm on the trolley-arm, substantially as described.

7. The combinatiomin a trolleyarm adapted for use in connection with aswitch-mechanism of the class specified,of the trolley-arm and its roller, a switch-arm shiftably supported on the trolley-arm and carrying aroller, and a guard on the trolley-arm and 1ocated alongside of the shiftable roller for guarding this against engagement with falling cross wires, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a trolley-arm adapted for use in connection with a switch-mechanism of the class specified, of the trolley-arm and its roller, a switch-arm pivotally supported on the trolley-arm and carrying a roller mounted on a stud projecting from the outer side of said switch-arm, and a wire-guard connected at one end with the outer end of said roller-stud and at the otherend brought against and secured to the switch-arm, whereby the roller is protected from the engagement thereunder of the line-wires, substantially as described.

JOHN H. ALLISON.

Nitnessesz VILLIAM H. HAUENSTEIN, ELMER M. CONLEY. 

